Olivia Newton-John's Widower Says 15 Years With Her "Worth a Lifetime"

Olivia Newton-John and her husband John Easterling attend the Dreamball 2010 charity gala at the Grand Hyatt hotel on September 23, 2010 in Berlin, Germany.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Olivia Newton-John sadly passed away a year ago at the age of 73, leaving behind loving friends, family, fans, and her husband and partner of 14 years John Easterling.

A year on, Easterling gave a beautiful interview to People about both the process of grieving Newton-John and the joy of loving her.

About living without his beloved wife, the herbalist said, "Things aren't easy, but you always have to just dig. Olivia was able to never lose sight of the good things. Love is everywhere." So that's a lesson for all of us right there.

Easterling revealed that he held a private ceremony with Newton-John's ashes in Peru to mark what would have been their 15-year anniversary, a journey that was immensely healing for him.

"It lightened my heart and created a very strong focus forward," he said. "I had 15 years with this extraordinary human being. That experience itself is worth a lifetime."

Speaking of their relationship, Easterling said, "The commitment Olivia and I had was that we would love each other forever or until the end of time, whichever came last. We’re still in that time frame."

The sad news of the Grease star's passing was shared via Easterling last year. A caption on her Instagram account read, "Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends."

At the time, celebrities including John Travolta, Mariah Carey, Viola Davis and Kylie Minogue shared heartfelt tributes to the actress, singer, and cancer research advocate and awareness-raiser.

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Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.